MCA to hold elections as per new Constitution 'shortly'

The city-based Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) has adopted the new Constitution incorporating the Lodha panel reforms and elections to the cricket body will be held shortly as per the new Constitution, a senior office-bearer said today.

"At the Special General Body Meeting on the seventh, we unanimously adopted the new Constitution as per the Lodha Committee. Elections will be held shortly, as per the new Constitution," MCA president Abhay Apte told PTI.

It is also learnt that former BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke also attended the SGM.

The Maharashtra Cricket Association has taken strides to implement the Lodha panel reforms. However, the Mumbai Cricket Association is yet to implement these reforms and has recently faced the wrath of the Bombay High Court.

On April 4, the Bombay High Court had accepted the names of retired judges - H L Gokhale and V M Kanade - for appointment as administrators of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to regulate the functioning of the state cricket body.

So, the Maharashtra Cricket Association has become the second association after the Vidarbha Crciket Association to adopt Lodha panel reforms in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Apte also informed that suspended pitch curator Pandurang Salgoankar, can resume duties from April 25.

On March 6, the ICC had handed a backdated suspension of six months to Salgaonkar for failing to report an approach by journalists posing as bookies ahead of the India-New Zealand clash in Pune last October.

However, the ICC had found "no evidence of corruption" against the curator.

Salgaonkar's suspension started from October 25, when the match was played, and the six-month period is set to end on April 24.

"The decision on (Pandurang) Salgaonkar was taken earlier in the (MCA) Managing Committee meeting, that his (suspension) will continue only till April 24 and he can resume his duties from the 25th. We are exactly following what the ICC (International Cricket Council) has done," Apte said.